


Grief

by imbeccacile



Category: Black Panther (2018), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-05 03:38:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14608455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imbeccacile/pseuds/imbeccacile
Summary: Half the population, gone. How do the remaining heroes deal with their losses?





	1. My King

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, major spoilers for Infinity War. This is just pure angst. I'm sorry if it makes you sad again <3
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okoye attempts to keep it together after her king disappears, and ends up having to console others, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PURE ANGST. I'm sorry I did this to my baby Shuri.
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!

After T’Challa disappeared, Okoye stood there.

 

She was confused but scared above all else. And that was terrifying in itself. She was rarely scared; being a war general, of course, she’d seen her fair share of terrible things. Even if she’d felt scared before, she certainly hadn’t shown it. She had to be strong for the other warriors, though most of them were just as, if not more, stronger than she was. But she was their leader, and she’d be damned if she let them down.

 

And now...the king had dissolved into thin air right before her eyes. Okoye’s ears pounded and she wasn’t sure if she could even hear anything around her. 

 

The only thing she did hear was…

 

“ _ This is no place to die.” _

 

She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut.  _ No.  _ Whatever kind of trick Thanos was trying to play on her, and everyone else, she wasn’t going to stand for it. Composing herself, she gripped her spear and ran.

 

***

 

Okoye didn’t know how much time had passed, but she did know she was lying on the ground. Most of T’Challa’s superhero friends were lying there too, and as she sat up quickly, saw they were thankfully only unconscious, just as she had been. Hopefully, not for as long as it seemed. The sun was slowly dipping below the horizon.

 

She scrambled to her feet quickly, alert right away for any sign of danger. She walked around the circle of unconscious heroes quietly, looking for Thanos or any of his children.  _ And T’Challa… _

 

There was nothing. Not even a small woodland creature. Okoye sighed heavily, dropping her stance, and looked at the heroes below her, who were slowly beginning to wake up.

 

Instead of watching them, Okoye made her way to the edge of the forest, gazing out at Wakanda. It...wasn’t in the best shape. But it seemed that whatever Thanos had done had taken all of the bodies of those creatures along with it. She stared at the field for a long time, making out some faint shapes in the distance. Glancing over her shoulder, she addressed the heroes. Captain Rogers had an arm around Thor to support him, the raccoon was standing off to the side with his arms crossed, Colonel Rhodes was helping Banner to his feet, and Agent Romanoff was tapping away at some tech on her wrist, asking for a “Nick Fury.”

 

“Come. We shall take cover at the castle.” Okoye didn’t wait for a response, and instead led the way toward the field. There was blood stained on some of the grass, and she forced herself not to stare. As they got closer, she squinted and saw the figures in the distance. She kept her composure, however, and swung her spear in a circle before resting it at her side.

 

“Sister.” M’Baku stood in front of only a few warriors, among which were two of hers. She was relieved to see the two Dora Milaje, but…that meant the rest had disappeared along with the king. She nodded respectfully in their direction, then returned her gaze to M’Baku. He looked exhausted, pained, angry. Everything she was feeling. “People just began disintegrating,” he continued, glancing at the remaining heroes.

 

“We know.” Okoye’s voice was surprisingly gentle. “Come, let us go inside. We need to plan.”

 

Again, she didn’t wait for a response. No one was in a position to argue with her, and besides...they needed answers. She and M’Baku led the way inside. Everyone was silent. Grief was washing over them all like a tidal wave, though they did their best at hiding it.

 

Once inside, Okoye rested her spear against the wall, turning to make sure her girls were okay. “Make yourselves comfortable,” she called to the rest, “We may be here for awhile.” She looked back at her two warriors, looking between them. Their faces were stony, obviously trying to mask what they were really feeling, just like she had. “Are you two alright?”

 

They exchanged a look. Ayo sighed heavily but didn’t give a straight answer about herself. “Everyone just began disappearing, General. They would...They would get this confused look on their face, and disintegrate.”

 

“They disappeared at different rates, too,” Xoliswa added softly, shaking her head. “Then all of those...monsters began disappearing, too. We defeated the remaining ones, and then M’Baku told us to take cover, just in case. We did, but it didn’t protect some of his men…”

 

Okoye took in the information slowly, hard face never once wavering. She nodded, looking between the two for a few moments. “All right. You two, get some rest. You’ve earned it.” She turned, starting to walk toward M’Baku. She didn’t want to talk about T’Challa; not now. She was afraid that it would hurt too much.

 

Just before she reached him, however, Shuri ran into the room. A few tear tracks were clear on her cheeks, but besides that, there were no fresh ones. Okoye was the first friendly face she saw, and so she walked up to her, lip quivering. The general felt her heart drop into her stomach at the poor girl’s features.

 

“Vision - he just got up and left,” Shuri began, voice fast and jumbled, “I was knocked out and when I woke up, everyone was gone. I went to check on Mama and she...she…” She shook her head, obviously fighting back tears. “Okoye, she just turned into dust!”

 

Despite her fighting, grief slipped into Okoye’s features. She swallowed, shaking his head. First T’Challa, now the queen…Shuri was looking around, eyes running over everyone else. Okoye couldn’t bring herself to watch; she stood, looking down silently. This poor child…

 

“Where is he?” Shuri asked quietly, and Okoye could feel the girl’s eyes on her. She didn’t answer, her own eyes pricking dangerously. “Where is T’Challa?!” Shuri repeated, nearly shouting, voice breaking terribly on her brother’s name. Okoye forced herself to look up at the child’s grief-stricken face. She waited a moment.

 

“He disappeared, along with half of our soldiers,” she answered finally, voice quiet. They stared at each other for a long time, and Okoye took in Shuri’s expression. First, it was realization. Then it was the anger and terrible grief. To the general’s surprise, Shuri reached up and shoved her rather hard, making her lose her footing.

 

“You should have protected him!” The girl shouted, making everyone in the room look up. Both seemed to be aware of the staring, but Shuri didn’t seem to care. “That’s your job! To protect the king!”

 

Okoye knew Shuri was just upset, and she didn’t mean it, but the words hurt a little. She  _ had _ failed her king. But she knew she had to be reasonable here; that was the only way she could keep from falling apart. “My princess,” she said calmly, keeping her composure, not letting the girl know how she really felt, “I did my best. T’Challa is a fantastic fighter and he can handle himself. This...This is different. I cannot protect dust.”

 

Even though it wasn’t the answer Shuri had been looking for, Okoye could see the realization in her eyes. Apparently, she had seen Ramonda disappear, so she had to know...Tears flowed freely from the girl’s eyes now, as she shook her head. “I c-can’t…” she whispered.

 

“Can’t what?” Okoye pressed gently. Shuri wiped one of her eyes roughly, though it didn’t do much.

 

“I can’t lose h-him again,” she answered quietly, voice breaking on the last word. Okoye wasn’t able to keep up her stony appearance anymore. She shook her head, remembering only a few months ago when T’Challa’s cousin supposedly killed him. She pulled Shuri close to her, holding the teenager tightly. Shuri gripped her as if her life depended on it. Okoye closed her eyes, trying not to think about T’Challa’s last words to her, as Shuri sobbed against her chest.

 

“We’re going to find him,” Okoye promised softly, after a few moments. “I promise. Your mother, too.” Shuri pulled away to look at Okoye for a moment, and the general knew she was Shuri’s only family left at the moment. Shuri nodded slightly, and Okoye guided her to the nearest couch. Shuri composed herself, taking a deep breath.

 

M’Baku, who had been tending to his remaining soldiers, shared a knowing look with Okoye. They would be planning soon, once everyone had time to rest. They couldn’t believe that their friends were dead, because then they’d have nothing to fight for.


	2. Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Rhodey chat about what to do after the fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, just pure angst. 
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!

Steve sat against the wall of the palace, silent.

 

Now that the battle was over, he was allowed to relax a little. At least, get out of captain mode and go into Steve Rogers mode.

 

Now, Steve Rogers couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Bucky’s face before he disappeared.

 

It had been confusion, and he was sure he’d seen a bit of fear, too. And Steve? Well, he was certainly confused, too. He...didn’t quite know what to feel. Thanos simply snapped, and slowly half of their team disappeared into dust. He couldn’t grasp the concept, but it seemed there wasn’t much to grasp. They were just gone. Sam included. Nobody even knew where Sam was.

 

“Mind if I join you?” Steve blinked out of his reverie to see Rhodey standing above him. He wondered how long he’d been standing there, because the last he checked, Rhodey had been standing by the window, looking out at the field.

 

“Go ahead,” he replied cordially, gesturing to the space beside him on the floor. Rhodey was getting better at walking, but he knew that probably, sitting on the floor wasn’t the most ideal. But the colonel did it anyway, with some difficulty, and exhaled slowly once he had relaxed against the wall beside Steve. He still felt terrible for Rhodey, and his paralysis, but it seemed he didn’t ever let it get him down.

 

“I’m sorry about Bucky,” Rhodey began after a moment, looking down at his lap. “I’ve been thinking, though. I mean...they can’t just disappear from existence, right?” When Rhodey looked up, Steve detected a hint of hopefulness in the other’s voice. It made his heart hurt.

 

“Well...there was nothing we could do,” he said softly, sighing. It wasn’t Rhodey’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s.  Although he didn’t quite believe that everyone would be okay despite the power of the Infinity Gauntlet, he didn’t want to get rid of that hope. Sometimes, hope was the only thing that could keep a person going. “It’s a possibility,” he agreed. “There must be a way to reverse all of this. Thanos brought Vision back to life.” The memory made him wince, but he continued. “If our team were not the only ones to disintegrate, then surely there are many other innocent lives taken.” The thought made his stomach churn unpleasantly.

 

“Yeah,” Rhodey sighed, leaning his head against the wall, thinking. A silence fell over them again, and Steve watched the other. He looked tired, but mostly just upset.

 

“I...I suppose you haven’t found any information on Sam?” he asked carefully, breaking the silence. He’d noticed the two had begun to get pretty close; they did have similar interests, after all. Maybe Rhodey knew. Maybe he saw. There wasn’t much hope that Sam was still out in the forest. It would be nice for some closure either way.

 

Rhodey looked at Steve, shaking his head very slightly. “I called for him for about ten minutes. I got nothing.” Steve’s heart twisted upon seeing Rhodey’s face, but he didn’t show it on his own. Sam was his friend, too, and he couldn’t believe no one had seen him. He’d disintegrated all alone. A look of pain crossed Rhodey’s face. “And Tony…”

 

Steve looked away, shutting his eyes for a moment. Yeah. Stark was missing; had been for about a week. He’d seen it on the news. There was no way to know if he was truly missing, dead, or just disintegrated on some planet. Despite everything they’d been through, he still respected Tony, and he didn’t deserve this.

 

“We’ll get them back,” Steve assured him softly, not quite realizing he was trying to assure himself, too. They had to. They had to get them back. What hope could they have of defeating Thanos without the rest of their friends? “People don’t just disappear out of existence. We just need to figure out where they are and how to get them back.” To his surprise, he felt Rhodey’s hand on his shoulder, and even more surprising still was the small smile on the other’s face.

 

“You’re right, Cap,” he chuckled lightly, “Just like usual.”

 

He didn’t feel right. He felt empty. But Rhodey was there for him. Everyone else was there, and he’d be damned if today was the day he gave up.

 


	3. I Got a Lot to Lose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rocket grieves over Groot, and tells Thor some things he didn't ever expect to say out loud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst.
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!

“There. You should be okay, just...just go easy on it for awhile.” Bruce was finishing up stitches on Thor’s side. The god hadn’t had much reaction to it; opting to be silent and clench his fists whenever something hurt. He didn’t want to make Bruce’s job more difficult than it was, and besides; he was deep in thought, Thanos’ face and voice swirling around him like an unbeatable fog.

 

Thor had been so close. So close to ending the ongoing nightmare that seemed to be going on for years. Seeing Eitri again, all broken and upset...that had been a lot to handle. The only thing he wanted was to make sure no one else would have to suffer at Thanos’ hand...and he’d failed.

 

_ “You should have gone for the head,” _ Thanos had taunted. Thor knew he should have. That sentence, that moment in battle, it would stick with him forever. He only wanted to make Thanos see that he was wrong. And it had only caused more pain.

 

“Thor, you with me, buddy?” Bruce’s voice cut through his thoughts, and he blinked hard, the doctor’s concerned face swimming into view above him. Thor cleared his throat, shoving his armor back on around the stitches, nodding.

 

“Yes. Thank you, Banner. I appreciate it,” he replied quietly, slowly getting to his feet with the help of the wall behind him.

 

“Careful!” Bruce exclaimed, alarmed, reaching out to help Thor, only to be waved away dismissively.

 

“I’m alright,” Thor promised, placing a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “I have had much worse. Please, go relax.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rocket sitting alone, in the corner beside the door, back to them. Bruce followed his gaze, then looked back up at his friend.

 

“Okay,” he whispered, hugging Thor quickly but tightly. Something to show him that he wasn’t alone. Thor appreciated it, and as soon as he let go, he made his way toward the raccoon, while Bruce made his way toward Natasha.

 

Rocket was sitting with his knees to his chest, staring out the window from his little corner. He was sniffing, shoulders shaking, and by the time that Thor approached, he was wiping his eyes hastily. He didn’t look at him as he sat beside him, either, and kept his eyes on the window. “...You gonna laugh at me for bein’ a big baby?”

 

Thor was surprised by the question, frown immediately appearing on his face. How could he judge the poor animal for feeling grief? Hell, even Thor missed Groot, and he’d only known him for a short amount of time. It was obvious that Groot and Rocket were close to each other, and the tree’s disappearing must have been a terrible sight. “Of course not, sweet rabbit,” he insisted quietly, but fiercely. “I do not blame you in the slightest.”

 

Rocket scoffed lightly, but Thor could see his shoulders relax a little. He sighed heavily, still wiping at his eyes. “It’s just...Groot ‘n I have been together since the beginning, ya know? He sacrificed himself for all of us last year, and I thought I lost him then...Now I got this terrible feeling he’s really gone.” He looked frustrated, shaking his head. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.”

 

“Because we make a good team?” Thor guessed softly, which finally made Rocket look at him. There was quiet, and the god could see thoughts buzzing through the other’s mind.

 

“We do,” the raccoon agreed finally, turning back to look at the window with another exasperated sigh. “Just...before he...disappeared. I can’t get the words outta my head.” Thor nodded lightly, knowing exactly what that was like. When Rocket looked back at him, his eyes were shining, and he didn’t bother to hide it. “He called me ‘Dad’.”

 

Thor had known that Groot was young, only a few years old. (In tree years, that meant he must be a teenager by now). And he could understand the young tree, but he’d never heard anything but profanity, sarcasm, and the occasional good or intelligent comment. This...This was new information, and it made his heart drop. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured, shaking his head. “We will get our friend Tree back,” he promised. He glanced behind his shoulder at Steve, deep in conversation with a vaguely familiar man. Perhaps he was Stark’s friend.

 

Rocket scoffed again. “How are we gonna get him back? He’s  _ dead _ , Thor. He disappeared! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but ya can’t put dust back into a person.”

 

“Do not lose hope so quickly,” he said softly, but he couldn’t exactly argue with that logic.

 

“Not to mention,” Rocket continued, throwing his hands in the air frustratedly, “I have no idea where the rest of my team is, or if they’re even alive!”

 

Thor was quiet, looking out at the window. Rocket took that as an opportunity to stop talking, too, clenching his jaw hard and turning to look out the window. “I’m sorry, rabbit,” he sighed after a few moments, which made the raccoon look back at him. “If I had been smarter, I would have struck Thanos in the head, and our friends would not have disappeared. I was foolish. I wanted to make sure Thanos knew who killed him, and why…”

 

Rocket turned away. “That ain’t your fault,” he replied softly, almost inaudibly. “That douchebag will get what’s comin’ to him eventually. How were you supposed to know that would happen?” 

 

Thor blinked, looking down at his lap. He let silence fall again. Although he couldn’t help blaming himself, that wasn’t what was needed at the moment. Rocket needed comfort, not excuses. Hesitating, Thor reached over, slowly placing a hand on the raccoon’s head. He stiffened immediately, silent. Then, Thor began running his hand through his fur. Normally, he had a feeling Rocket would bite his hand off if he tried, but this...seemed to comfort him.

 

Tension left Rocket’s shoulders, and they stayed there for a long time.


	4. I'm Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nebula forces Tony off of Titan, and they visit Wakanda to get his torso stitched up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much angst. I'm only a little sorry for this one.
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!

“Get up.”

 

Tony couldn’t hear what the stranger had said. His ears were ringing and he couldn’t bring himself to look up. He was holding a hand over his mouth to hide the way it was quivering, but he couldn’t hide the hand’s shaking. The other hand held dust - that’s all it was. He didn’t know why he still clung to it. It was just dust. But he couldn’t let go.

 

“I said, get up!” Nebula nearly shouted, making Tony finally look up at her. “I get it. You’re upset. But moping around here won’t bring them back.” She was blurry, but he could sense something change in her expression. Sympathy? Maybe, for a few seconds. Then it was gone. He blinked. He couldn’t bother to act like everything was fine. Not yet. Nebula sighed exasperatedly, then held her hand out for him to take. “We need to get off this planet. If you don’t come with me, fine, but I’m leaving you here.”

 

As good as that sounded at this point, Tony couldn’t just stay here and wait to die. He needed to know about Pepper; about his friends. Who knew who else was apart of the unlucky fifty percent. He’d always assumed that he would be apart of that, but not Peter. Never in a million years.

 

He stared at her hand for a long moment. Just as it looked like she was about to leave him, his weak hand slowly let the dust fall to the ground, and grasped hers. She pulled him up easily. He gasped in surprise and pain, gripping his torso. Nebula didn’t wait for him to regain his bearings; she simply walked, half-dragging Tony toward the ship that had crash landed there.

 

“With any luck, repairs won’t take very long,” she said blankly, ignoring Tony’s expressions of pain. Her face was stony; determined. He could admire that, at least, but for now, he didn’t quite like her.

 

They reached the ship after a few minutes, and Nebula dropped Tony into one of the seats, making him exhale in shock. “Not very gentle, are we?” he muttered, grasping his wound and applying pressure. Nebula simply stared at him angrily. Obviously, she was upset that she was stuck with him. Tony could say the same about her.

 

Instead of saying anything else, she went to turn the ship on; to see what needed to be fixed. He could see her from the corner of his eye, but he didn’t really pay her much attention.

 

He found himself feeling an unbeatable anger all of a sudden. Why would that  _ bastard _ of a wizard sacrifice the time stone in order to keep Tony alive? Why was he worth it? If Stephen hadn’t given it up, he and Peter would still be here. It didn’t make any sense, and it angered him. If Stephen hadn’t disappeared too, Tony would have killed him.

 

_ “It was the only way, Stark.” _

 

Bullshit! Tony couldn’t wrap his mind around it. Not to mention, this meant that half the population had disappeared along with them. Innocent lives taken, and for what? For Tony’s life? How dare Stephen make that choice! He wasn’t worth that, not by a long shot. Even if that wasn’t the case, he definitely wasn’t worth Peter’s life. Peter deserved a life more than anyone Tony had ever met. It broke his heart to think of May, who had already lost so much...

 

He was torn out of his thoughts at a loud thud. Nebula had thrown a first aid kit on the floor beside his chair, staring at him, that angry expression still plain on her face. Maybe she didn’t know any other feelings. “Can you do this, or am I going to have to?”

 

“I don’t want you touching me,  _ Neytiri! _ ” he snapped, his anger shining through now. He could tell by the blankness that flashed across her face that she didn’t get the reference, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want anyone touching him, least of all a woman who probably hated his guts for no reason.

 

“Suit yourself,” she said dismissively, going to work on repairs. Tony glanced down at the bleeding, seeing one hand already covered in blood. He sighed frustratedly and applied more pressure, pressing into the wound with both of his hands.

 

With any luck, Bruce was still around. He hoped so. He wasn’t sure he could take much more of this.

 

***

“Stark! You gotta stay awake,” Nebula shouted, annoyance creeping into her voice after saying this same sentence for the fourth time. Tony was getting annoyed, too, because he knew that. It was just getting hard to keep his eyes open. 

 

“I’m up. Just resting my eyes.  _ In case you haven’t noticed _ , we’ve been drifting through space for almost an hour.” Nebula had managed to get the ship working again. The only problem was finding Earth, and Wakanda, for that matter. That was where Thanos was headed, so that was where they were going.

 

“Well, stop doing that,” she retorted, pressing a few buttons, “because we’re almost there, and I’m not dragging your body out for everyone to see.” Was that supposed to be nice? Tony decided that, coming from Nebula, her not wanting him to die was the most compliment he would be getting.

 

Tony sat up a bit, looking out the large window. She was right. There was land below them, instead of the same galaxy he’d been seeing for what seemed like forever.

 

The only good part about being half-conscious was that he didn’t have time to think.

 

Nebula landed the ship in the large, empty field beside the palace. It was quiet. Empty. Tony glanced down at the first aid kit, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a blue hand reaching for him. He took it and allowed her to help him up, placing an arm around her so that he was supported.

 

“Guess you’re stronger than I took you for, Stark,” she sighed as they slowly made their way off of the ship and onto the grass. “I thought you would have died by now without any medical attention.”

 

“The universe has tried to kill me for years,” he grunted, concentrating on walking, “and there’s no way in hell I’m dying at the hand of a purple Bruce Willis.”

 

“You make a lot of strange references.”

 

Tony nodded, figuring he should shut up for once in his life, because it was getting harder to breathe. But Nebula was strong; she was definitely keeping him upright for most of the walk to the palace.

 

Someone must have seen them, because as they approached the doors, a frazzled looking Bruce jogged out. “Tony! Are you -” His eyes drifted to the wound in Tony’s torso, which had gotten worse. Maybe it was infected. Tony didn’t know and he didn’t particularly care at the moment. “Oh my God.”

 

“Thanos stabbed him,” Nebula answered the unasked question blankly, and she met Bruce’s wide eyes. She failed to mention that Tony refused her help on the ship. He was thankful for that.

 

The two helped Tony inside, and Okoye and Shuri quickly got up off of the couch to allow him to lie down. Out of the corner of his eye, just past Bruce, he could see Rhodey sitting with Steve. Of course they’d be part of the lucky fifty percent.

 

He stared up at the ceiling as Bruce worked on him. Nebula walked off, and he didn’t know where she went, but...even if she’d been harsh, he was grateful for her help. Not that he’d ever admit it.

 

After a few moments, Tony found his eyes shutting again. Only this time, behind the closed eyelids, he could only see Peter. The terrified look, the way his voice broke.

 

“Tony!”

 

Luckily, Bruce’s voice shocked his eyes open, and before he could stop himself, he cried out, “Pete!” He could see the look of complete concern on his friend’s face, but he didn’t care at the moment. After a few seconds, Rhodey was by his side, sitting by his legs so that he wasn’t in Bruce’s way.

 

“Hey, Tones, look at me,” Rhodey murmured gently, and slowly Tony brought his gaze to his best friend. “Good. You’re doing great.”

 

“I couldn’t save him…” Tony whispered almost silently, staring at Rhodey like his life depended on it. Because in that moment, it did. He didn’t want to ever see Peter go through that again. And he just did. He felt Bruce pause for a moment before continuing.

 

Rhodey’s face fell. “Hey, it’s not your fault,” he replied soothingly.

 

“I promised I’d protect him!” he shouted, grabbing Rhodey’s wrist so tightly that the other let out a cry of surprise. Tony didn’t mean to, and he didn’t mean to startle Bruce, either. He didn’t know why he was doing this, but he couldn’t stop. Bruce stepped away for a moment, whispering something to Shuri. 

 

Tony was too upset to care. He sat up, ignoring the pain, still gripping Rhodey’s arm, like if he let go he’d break. “His aunt…” he mumbled, knowing full well that this was just the wound talking at this point. “She trusted me!”

 

“It’s going to be okay, Tony,” Rhodey promised, glancing up for a moment before returning his gaze to his best friend. How could Rhodey say that? How could things be okay? “Relax. Breathe. You can do this.” Rhodey looked pained, something that looked like sadness and guilt passing over his face.

 

“Oh yeah, everything’s gonna be great!” Tony replied, sarcasm dripping into his every word. “Half the population’s gone, and the boy, the  _ kid _ I dragged into all of this mess is dead!” His voice broke on that word, but he didn’t notice. 

 

All of a sudden, he felt a slight prick in his neck. Instinctively, he let go of Rhodey’s arm and reached up to his neck, where he could feel a small, perfectly round circle protruding from his neck. He looked up at Bruce, now standing beside him with a pained look. “I’m sorry, Tony,” he whispered, shaking his head.

 

Tony began to feel drowsy. Bruce had sedated him. The  _ bastard.  _ Slowly, he leaned back against the couch, whatever Wakandan sedative had been injected into him working much faster than he would have liked. He fought closing his eyes, but inevitably, it happened.

 

He saw nothing.

 


End file.
